Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with members of the API Council at JACL national headquarters in San Francisco on May 13.
The API Council, led by co-chairs Jon Osaki and Sarah Wan, is dedicated to bringing Asian and Pacific Islander communities together to address the needs of API residents of the city and county of San Francisco.
San Francisco JACL participates in the API Council’s 40-member coalition, which advocates for equitable policies and resources on behalf of the 250,000 API residents in the Bay Area.
During Pelosi’s visit, the council held discussions on areas of concern including housing, health and human services.
The API Council was formed “in response to the lack of racial and economic justice and equality for underserved APIs in San Francisco. Through coalition development, research and advocacy over the past five years, the API Council has protected and grown resources at the city-budget appropriations level for underserved API communities by $1 million-$3 million per year to support core services along with API constituency engagement.”